


precognition

by toskliviydays



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: AU, Fluff, M/M, discontinued but it's hardly a cliffhanger, unless you convince me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-22
Updated: 2015-01-15
Packaged: 2018-02-18 10:21:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2344919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toskliviydays/pseuds/toskliviydays
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kasamatsu runs the Kaijou Blue Rescue Clinic in Kanagawa prefecture. More importantly, the owner of the eyes that have been haunting his dreams has suddenly shown up, leaving but a flustered vet in his wake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. day one: first impressions

He’d been having these peculiar dreams for months.

It wasn’t much of note, to be honest; Kasamatsu Yukio was not a man who remembered his sleeping thoughts, who put much stock into anything he saw while his eyes were closed. He was a man of  _practicality_ after all, of structure, and so when his nights were filled with bright yellow eyes lined meticulously with black, with slender hands that held his in the dark, he paid it… no mind. Maybe he’d seen someone attractive on the street during his commute; maybe he was getting lonely. At any rate, he had more important things with which to occupy his time.

He ran an animal rescue on the border of Kanagawa, three parts veterinary and rehabilitation center, one part animal cafe. It was Moriyama’s idea, honestly, three years ago when Kasamatsu asked his friend if he wanted to help open a clinic. “Girls love animals; why not attract some while we work? They’d be more likely to adopt or talk about it, and besides—” he’d smacked Kasamatsu good-naturedly on the back at that point, much to the younger man’s displeasure— “we deserve something nicer to look at than sick cats.”

Kasamatsu had been hesitant to accept it— he was so  _bad_ with women, why did Moriyama have to fixate on them?— but it was a good idea, if a little… opportunistic. At any rate, it was his friend that handled the business side of it more often than not, leaving Kasamatsu to devote his attention to veterinary work. It had become his  _passion_  and despite many setbacks, he was determined to make a difference, to offer a linkage point between creatures that needed love and those that were willing to provide it. He was softer, more careful, more loving for the sick he cared for than any human he could ever speak to, and perhaps that was one of the things that endeared his co-workers to him so dearly, even despite his strict, sometimes abrasive nature. Kasamatsu loved what he did. And it showed.

Unfortunately, he was not the best manager when he was the only one left to man the counter.

Hayakawa was somewhere in town, walking the dogs that needed exercise (he was the only one with the energy for it, honestly) and Kobori was hidden away in the training room, working with the pets that needed specific behavioral training before they could be adopted. Meanwhile Moriyama was  _out_ — probably on the  _date_ , the scoundrel— leaving Kasamatsu to sit impatiently at the clinic front, idly petting the cats and muttering at the birds who worked as attractions through the windows. It wasn’t so bad, really, it was just… when  _people_ came in. He’d only ever been good at snapping people into line, at either following directions or making them, and so when social niceties and subtleties were necessary… he was at a bit of a loss. Kobori said it was cute, the way he got all flustered, but man,  _fuck Kobori_.

"I bet I can bully Moriyama into buying new toys for you if you act hurt when he gets back," Kasamatsu muttered, wiggling his fingers for a kitten that had found its way up to the counter. "He’s a sucker for that." The kitten only grabbed onto his wrist, kicking vaguely as if it had no idea the mechanics behind hunting. He’d always found it half frightening and half adorable, though he would never say as much.

Without much warning, the second door to the clinic opened, a bell ringing that garnered the attention of every creature within the room. They all looked up, eyes trained on the frantic young man that had rushed in, all out of breath with eyes that looked almost pleading. For what, Kasamatsu couldn’t figure— why would he come in here if he was running?— but then something struck him. Those eyes, half-obscured by blue ballcap—  _those eyes_. Their gold was brighter with adrenaline and the black was smudged just so on one side, as if he’d touched his eye accidentally in the process of finding a door to pop into, but all the same, they were  _the eyes_. The eyes he saw in his dreams. Without thinking of anything but their burned imprint in his mind, Kasamatsu tripped trying to take a step out from behind the counter, falling with little grace onto the carpet with a harsh curse. The animals scattered, either with meows or offended tweets, and Kasamatsu took the opportunity to wish for a swift, merciful death. Maybe the ground would swallow him up? The clinic would fair quite fine without him, Moriyama had as much veterinary experience as him, and  _Jesus fuck what had he even tripped on_? He laid there, thinking all these things, and absolutely refused to look up.

"O-oh wow. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, I was just trying to get out of the street because these girls were— oh. Uhhh."

The stranger (of his dreams) (wow) (fuck) (no) (get of my head, Moriyama) had come forward, kneeling down to help Kasamatsu up by the arm, and Kasamatsu was only a little reluctant to accept the help. A  _little_  because he would probably actually die if he let himself lay on the floor like an idiot while a potential customer was here. What if he wanted to pet the cats? What if he adopted one? Who knew?  _Think about the job, Yukio_. But as Kasamatsu looked up and locked eyes with the other man— he looked like a  _model_ , dear god, what was he  _doing_ here— he seemed to be caught by the very same spell that had tripped Kasamatsu just moments before.

As pretty as this guy was, though, Kasamatsu could only spend so long being stared at with his arm in a stranger’s grasp. He pulled away, brow creasing with something between annoyance and embarrassment, and crossed his arms, looking just left of the other man’s eyes. “Sorry. I was clumsy. Can I help you?”

The stranger blinked his pretty eyes like something out of a high-budget romantic comedy and flashed a winning smile that made Kasamatsu’s heart skip a beat.

_Maybe the fall jarred to life some kind of heart problem. I should go to a person doctor._

"Sorry, ha ha. Uhm, I’m," he hesitated before bowing slightly, his grin a little lopsided now. "I’m Kise Ryouta. I actually came in to escape some people following me but," he looked around, whistling twice to a curious cockatrice that stared judgmentally from its perch in the corner, "this is cool. What is it?"

Feeling thrown off balance in more ways than one, Kasamatsu turned, returning to his seat behind the counter and regarding the stranger levelly. There was nothing important about having seen this man’s eyes before. Lots of people had to have eyes like that. He was being uncharacteristically romantic and ew, fuck, he really ought to stop. “This is the Kaijou Blue Rescue Clinic. People usually come here to interact with the adoptable animals. Sort of like a cat cafe.” Kasamatsu paused, looking down at the menu under his elbow for a moment. “We usually serve juices and smoothies but the man in charge of that is out for the day. I could try my hand if you wanted, but I don’t suggest it.”

He looked back up, expecting the stranger—  _Kise_ , he reminded himself, with the lined golden eyes— to looked bored, prepared to leave due to Kasamatsu’s rather uninvolved explanation, but what he saw instead was the expression of a delighted child. He was taken aback almost; what right did this man have looking so happy? But Kasamatsu only blinked, waiting for him to reply.

Kise looked around for a moment, kneeling to offer his hand up to the kitten that had previously been attacking Kasamatsu. “That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard. So like, you find them? And treat them? And have people play with them? I’ve never seen anybody do that with adoption. That’s,” he caught Kasamatsu’s gaze again, catching him off guard with the glittering delight within them, “ _literally_ the coolest.”

Kasamatsu frowned, feeling flustered. “It’s…  _not_. We’re just doing our jobs in the best way we can. For the animals.”

Looking unaffected by Kasamatsu’s deflection, Kise hummed, standing only to lean against the counter. He was suddenly so, so much closer than Kasamatsu was comfortable with, chin perched on his hand as he fixed Kasamatsu with what could only be something  _flirtatious_. He could feel the heat rising rapidly up his neck to his ears.

"So, can I know the name of someone who works for the coolest place I have ever been, even by accident?"

Rather than reciprocate the attention— Kasamatsu didn’t even know if he knew  _how_ — he leaned back, scowling unimpressively. “K-Kasamatsu Yukio. I’m the lead vet and owner. Get off the counter.”

But Kise was anything but deterred, his smile still in place as he straightened up. “A  _surgeon angel_  then.”

Oh  _fuck_ he was  _tall_ , taller than Kasamatsu had initially noticed, and he was looking down at Kasamatsu with more attention that he’d received from someone in what felt like  _years_. It wasn’t even flattering it was just… frightening. His heart fluttered dangerously, scowl growing deeper.

Before this— whatever this was— could go any further, however, Kise’s phone buzzed loudly in his pocket, a snippet of the latest pop tune sounding off. The cockatrice in the corner barked, but now, blessedly, the atmosphere was broken. Kasamatsu could no longer feel a wall of heat pressing down on his from all sides, his entire attention focused on the glittering gold that bore holes into his skin. He took a deep breath, looking away for a moment before his attention was caught again.

"Right, ha ha, soooorry. I got sidetracked. I’ll be right there." Looking incredibly apologetic—  _why?_ — Kise bowed again, flipping shut his phone. Kasamatsu raised his eyebrows. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Kasamatsu-san. It’ll be sure to stop by again when I have more time.” Looking rueful, he turned away, adding, “Maybe I’ll convince you to make me one of those smoothies. Ha ha, bye~!”

For a solid ten minutes afterward, Kasamatsu stared at the door, his arms still crossed defensively as he considered what the fuck had just happened. The man with the eyes that haunted his dreams had just walked in and… flirted? With him? Incapable of forming more than half a comprehensible thought, Kasamatsu got down on the floor and allowed the animals to climb on him and tug on his clothing. Only later later did he realize he hadn’t returned Kise’s courtesy at all.

He supposed it didn’t matter.

The man was too damn sure of himself anyway.

What  _did_ matter however was that he’d apparently gotten worked up enough for Moriyama to notice the next day. There was no need to keep checking on every customer that came in; not when he was delegated back to the kennels where he usually preferred to be.

"Did a pretty girl visit while I was gone? Yukio, pleeease, tell me! I’m jealous already! Be straight with me, how hot was she on a scale of 1 to 10?"

"Shut up or I’m kicking your ass."

"See, I hear you, but all I see is your ears all red which means like  _at least an eight_ —”

“ _Yoshitaka._ ”

"Okay! Another day then!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote the first two prompts for kisekasa week on tumblr but i never really bothered finishing the third+ days? i have drafts but they're ehh and this entire au wasn't necessarily meant to keep going. but, people seemed to like it! so hopefully if it gets any attention here, i'll finish it.


	2. day two; possessiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kasamatsu runs the Kaijou Blue Rescue Clinic in Kanagawa prefecture. More importantly, however, he’s been haunting Kise’s dreams for months. After a chance encounter, Kise decides it’s fate that he make a move.

It wasn’t so hard for Kise to believe.

For years he’d seen the future in his dreams— little snippets, small images, faint sounds— but they were never for _him_. They were… for the people around him, he supposed. Once he’d seen a crash on the interstate Aominechhi would travel the next day, a distinctively midnight blue motorcycle swerving harshly to the left, and he’d almost made himself sick with worry when his friend refused to believe him. He’d been so  _earnest_ , too, as earnest as he ever could have been! But Aomine was convinced Kise was just trying to spook him, and so he’d gone anyway, and the crash had occurred. To Kise’s relief however, the serve he’d seen allowed Aomine to miss it entirely. The other man had only seemed shaken by Kise’s warning after the fact, still refusing to believe Kise could see the future in his dreams. It was just coincidence. Crashes happened all the time, after all, and Aomine was fast enough to escape any of them.

But rather than life-threatening events, Kise usually saw inane things hardly of note, things like what Momoi would be wearing next week or what milkshake Kuroko would order the next time they went out. Either way, Kise was never involved. He’d entertained the notion of opening a street-side psychic business for a short period of time, but he’d been promptly talked out of it; it would prove to be more an exploitation of his existent fans than anything else and Kise was certainly not  _that kind of guy_. Still, it was a romantic notion; to help people see the little things in their future, even if it meant he had to get close to them first. That was one of the prerequisites, he supposed. He had to know them well.

And so when he’d started to see piercing blue eyes and thick furrowed brows, everything painted in watercolor splashes of exotic feathers and domestic fur, his first thought had been that a romantic partner was close on the horizon. But for who? He’d been spending an increasing amount of time working, so it couldn’t have been any of his old friends. His manager maybe? Of course. A grumpy rich dude with animals; it suited her. So he teased, telling her his dreams of steady calloused hands and spiky black hair, and she tittered, only to tell him to get back to work. 

Imagine his surprise then when on the way to a shoot— he’d  _insisted_ on arriving unescorted, something he’d eventually come to regret when a group of fans began relentlessly following him— he’d stepped into the glass doors of a building of interior watercolor paintings, birds tweeting inquisitively while attentively narrowed eyes watched him from the ground. Before he could think of what that meant for more than a moment, the man at the counter had tripped and fallen squarely to the ground. He should— he should apologize, he thought, he should help, he— but all his thoughts ceased to exist as he looked into the face of the man whose most insignificant details he’d come to be so intimately aware of in the past few months. Kise gaped stupidly— “oh, uhhh”— even as he helped the man to his feet, gaze taking in everything that seemed so blurred by sleep before. Those eyes were… even more piercing, surprise and embarrassment turning to discomfort and indignation so vibrantly that Kise thought he was in a different reality altogether, his brows creasing with more ease than Kise had ever expected. He was mesmerized. Even as the other man broke the hold, curt and to the point, Kise watched him with fascination, blinking twice to clear the clouds from his mind. He was an entertainer for a living; he oughtn’t freeze up  _now_.

Even so, he was bumbling, bowing shallowly and quickly as he introduced himself. The other man was taken aback. But that was okay! Kise could remedy this! He needed to— he needed to know everything. He needed to know everything about this man, needed to touch his hands to him to be sure he was real. But that was impolite and, and it had to wait…

By the time he was forced to leave— just as abruptly as he’d come— he’d already made up his mind. This man was— he was for him. For the first time in his life the dreams were for  _him,_  they  _had_ to be, and this man was important, was— was literally the  _man of his dreams_. As flustered and uncomfortable with attention as he was, Kasamatsu wasn’t  _opposed_ to Kise, and that’s what was important. This would be so much more difficult otherwise. Though, Kise  _had_ always hungered for challenges.

He was distracted for the rest of the day.

But he kept his word. Three days later, when he returned to Kaijou Blue— had needed to find directions on his phone, embarrassingly— he had every intention of spending time with Kasamatsu. He’d been the focal point of Kise’s dreams for every night since they’d met and he could honestly say that he’d never been this distracted by another person before. Maybe he was working himself up, but… it was nice. He smiled, feeling oddly reminiscent of the time Aomine had dared him to inhale five balloons of helium at a middle school birthday party. There was the same light-headedness.

As to be expected, it was not Kasamatsu at the counter but an attractive young man with far more sociability than Kasamatsu could ever hope to possess. He was serving drinks to a group of girls that had surrounded themselves with pretty little cats all vying for their attention. This looked more like what one would expect, coming in the door— not Kasamatsu looking uncomfortable and grumpy. Still, Kise was a little uneasy at the thought of  _asking_ for the vet.

He was sure to pull the ballcap he wore further down over his eyes as he passed the girls, careful not to catch their attention. As he approached the counter, however, he flashed the man a winning smile. More than anything, he looked offended by it. But he was still the picture of niceties.

"Hello! I’m Moriyama; welcome to Kaijou Blue Rescue. What are you here for?"

Feeling a little rueful, Kise leaned against the counter. “I’m looking for one of your vets. Kasamatsu-san?”

There was a brief pause of confusion before Moriyama continued, giving Kise a calculated look. Had Kasamatsu said something about him? The was a flutter of warmth in his chest, but he ignored it.

"The actual clinic entrance is around the building, but I suppose you could go through the back…" Moriyama stepped away from the counter, glancing at the girls before eyeing Kise with a measure of scrutiny. "Are you here to pick up an adoption? I don’t remember Yukio— ah,  _Kasamatsu_ — having any regular patients in the kennel today.”

For a moment, Kise had to keep the flare of jealousy off his face. Kasamatsu  _worked_ with this man, they’d probably known each other for a very long time; of course they’d go by each other’s first names. Still, he couldn’t help it. What if this Moriyama fellow and Kasamatsu were  _together_? What if that’s the reason he looked so suspicious, especially in light of Kise’s previous flirting? Oh, God, the thought made him a little nauseous. He didn’t want to chase after the man of his dreams if he was  _taken_. He wasn’t like that! But he couldn’t just give  _up_ —

Moriyama was looking at him expectantly, and he coughed, attempting to cover up his… moment. “Ha ha, sorry. No, I was, ah… thinking of adoption.” Liar. “But I wanted to talk to Kasamatsu-san about it. He was at the counter the other day when I came in.”

With that Moriyama’s gaze turned knowing, and Kise had to swallow a startled whine.  _Fuck fuck fuck fuck_ , was he  _right_ before? Fuck, maybe he should— should duck out, excuse himself, maybe he shouldn’t have come at  _all_ —

But Moriyama just nodded, smiling. “Okay. Follow me.” Leaning to look over Kise’s rather stiff shoulder, he called to the girls that he would only be a moment, to which they responded with only pleased hums.

They went through a door into a hallway more plain than the store front, shelves lined with leashes and treats and supplies that did not belong in the front but were necessary for the animals. There was a private bathroom with a large sink for washing— probably for unexpected messes— and a door that led to a large, mostly empty room labelled “behavioral training”. Hung on it was a chart with names, breeds, ages and dilemmas written in neat handwriting, check marks next to some but tiny scribbled comments alongside others.

Soon enough they arrived at the kennels, the sound of various animals turning cacophonous in the large concrete room. But rather than clinical, the kennel seemed… warm, painted in subdued pastels, cages lined with soft beds and toys. There were doors to little rooms that Kise imaged were used for check-ups and surgeries, respectively, and for a moment… He couldn’t help but be impressed. This had to be the nicest rescue clinic he’d ever seen. Not that he’d ever actually  _been_ to one, but there were plenty in the movies.

"Yukio~. You’ve got a visitor~."

Though Kise could not say he disliked Moriyama— he was surely pleasant enough, and he was probably an awesome guy if he worked here— he couldn’t help the second flare of jealous anger that he felt directing itself at the man. Did he have to do that? Was that professional? Disgusting. But before he could work up a righteous enough indignation, his eyes landed once again on blue, on black, on angles and a light frown and oh, look, there was heat rising in his face. And a scowl. Oh, shit, he looked kinda pissed. Kise’s pout turned into something like fear, and for the second time in as many minutes, he wondered if he ought to leave.

"What do you want, Mori— what is he doing. Why is he back here?"

Moriyama only laughed, looking oddly pleased with himself. “Calm down. He said he’s here to consider adoption, and he requested you.” Before either of them could say another word, Moriyama left, grinning delightedly. “Have fun!”

For a moment there was only silence, Kise retreating slightly into himself as Kasamatsu glared hotly at Moriyama’s retreating form. Soon enough, however, his gaze turned to Kise and— ohhh. Wow, he really  _was_ handsome. Kise didn’t think he’d ever had it in him to be infatuated with someone so grumpy, but he supposed as much was to be expected, between his rather one-sided relationships with Aomine and Kuroko.

Kasamatsu huffed, crossing his arms self consciously and pointedly looking to the kennels as he spoke. “You didn’t say you wanted to adopt before.”

Without quite thinking about his words, Kise replied, “I just wanted to talk to  _you_ , honestly.”

He could see the way Kasamatsu grit his teeth, looking indignantly offended even as his neck grew red with embarrassment. “I’m  _working_. What could you possibly want to talk about?”

Kise paused, blinking thoughtfully. He really hadn’t thought this through. He’d half expected to reenact a scene from Sleeping Beauty and have the older man fall in love with him with some simple charming, but he supposed that was a little far-fetched. There was less flirtation to his smile than there was bashfulness as he stuffed his hands into his designer jean pockets, laughing slightly. “Your work, if you want to. Or whether or not you’d like to get coffee with me after it’s over.”

“ _What_?”

Honestly, Kise couldn’t tell if the vet was about to shit himself with anger or with embarrassment but either way, he looked sort of constipated. Man. He couldn’t wait to make a home with this guy.

Kasamatsu narrowed his eyes, backing away as if the heat in his face were from standing too close to a fire. “Are you serious? Because I’m ready to kick you out for being an idiot.”

Nodding emphatically, Kise’s smile regained its full force, his eyebrows raising impossibly high— impeccably arched— as if he thought the more expression he showed the more likely Kasamatsu was to respond positively. “Oh, I’m totally serious! More serious than the time I told my stylist I needed to keep my hair shorter if I wanted to get any more adult work!”

As if he’d said some magic word, Kasamatsu’s incredibly tenseness dissipated, replaced instead by absolute disbelief. Not “are you making fun of me” disbelief but “are you serious am I being punk’d because that is some American bullshit” disbelief. Which, Kise imagined, was something!

"Stylist. Adult work. Are you a porn star, what is happening."

He laughed, reaching up to take off his ballcap and muss up his short hair. “Nooonono, ha ha. I told you I was Kise Ryouta, right? Though I guess that doesn’t mean as much if you’re not a teenage girl, uhm—” Kasamatsu looked even more unimpressed, if that were possible. “I’m a model. Though, uh, I’ve done some acting work, but mostly as cameos and extras… sorry. This is pretty weird, isn’t it? But I really am serious.”

Kasamatsu was looking him over critically, eyes as hard as stone as he considered. Kise felt like he was being appraised for a million dollar signing, but rather than fear for his bank account, he briefly wondered if he was ruining his entire fate somehow.

After a few moments, Kasamatsu nodded, uncrossing his arms. “Okay, yeah, I’ve seen you. I don’t get why you would… ask me out, though.” He made a face. “I’m a vet. And also a man. Don’t you have a reputation or something?”

At that, Kise laughed. He felt like bubbles were traveling up his throat from his stomach, he was so happy. Kasamatsu was  _considering_ him. That meant something too, right? “People don’t pay me as much attention anymore. Besides, I’m willing to risk it.”

With a noise of disbelief Kasamatsu was blushing all over again and _wow_ , Kise couldn’t help but step closer, mesmerized. “Are you always this blunt? I can’t— take you seriously.”

Thinking about nothing but the way Kasamatsu’s expression made his heart feel like it was falling out, filling his body with sunshine, Kise kept stepping closer, taking Kasamatsu’s hands in his. They were sweaty, hot, but so were Kise’s. Kasamatsu jerked away, looking at Kise with wide, incredulous eyes, but Kise held firm. “No. Not at all. But I’ve seen your face in my dreams for months and I don’t want to screw anything up by being a jackass. Kuroko told me I do that, sometimes. Will you please go on a date with me?”

Kasamatsu sputtered, choking as he leaned away from Kise’s earnest face. Yet still, all Kise could do was stare, studying every curve, every hard line, the way those eyebrows seemed always creased but were for now angled upward, eyes wide with disbelief. This was probably more than Kasamatsu could handle— he didn’t seem much one for emotions or sudden confessions— but Kise really, honestly could not help it. He wasn’t thinking about anything but the elation fizzing within him and the dull terror that rang sharply at the idea of screwing this up and never seeing Kasamatsu again. It was silly and overbearing, all of it, and Kise knew that, somewhere, but…

Before Kasamatsu could regain his composure to react, another voice echoed through the kennel, a man with five excited dogs jumping around on their leashes entering the room. “Boooooosss, I’m baaaaa— oh what the  _fuck_.”

The vet ripped his hands from Kise’s hold, ducking his head as he rushed past Kise to reach for the dog leashes, leaning down to undo them from the collars. “Hayakawa, please start winding them down and get them some water; it was hot today. Don’t say anything to Moriyama or I’ll kill you. This one, Kimi, she needs her medicine, so be sure to prepare that.” Standing, Kasamatsu looked for all the world a competent boss, staring at the other man— Hayakawa— and waiting for him to respond. Which he did. Immediately. Woow, Kise wouldn’t have.

Speaking of which.

Kasamatsu turned, walking past Kise again without so much as a look. This… this was also reminiscent of that time Aomine made him breathe in all those balloons. He’d felt sick afterwards then, too.

"Stop pouting, I left for like a  _second_. I’ll— I’ll meet with you. Here.” Kasamatsu returned with a business card in hand, handing it to Kise without meeting his eyes. Again. As if he couldn’t handle it. “Your hours are probably more flexible than mine, but that’s when I’m working, and my phone address is on the back. Message me when and where. But give me a day’s notice, okay? I’m— busy. Now, get out.” Without waiting to see if Kise would respond, Kasamatsu disappeared again, presumably to do his job. Kise blinked. He took a deep breath. And he looked down at the card, at the hard, slanted lines that made up Kasamatsu’s handwriting. Grinning despite himself and still feeling a little sick from the whirlwind of emotions, Kise slid the card into his pocket, placing his ballcap back on his head as he heading out the clinic lobby. It was… weird, but Kasamatsu had agreed to go on a date with him. Sort of.

As he got on the train, he entered Kasamatsu’s information into his phone, sending a short message. He couldn’t stop grinning all the way home.

 

> To: Kasamatsu Yukio  
>  Message: Hello Kasamatsu-san, it’s Kise Ryouta! (≧∇≦)/  
>  Thank you so much… I’ll talk to you soon!


	3. day three + four: first kiss + doing something together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is p unedited bc my computer's shitting out and i want to post it before it died for good but hopefully!!! you like this!!! it feels p taxing but i like doing every other chapter from one of their perspectives, so the next one will likely just be kise being very very gay.

Moriyama, blessedly, waited until the end of the day to say a word.

Kobori and Hayakawa were long gone, their time logged at the clinic shortly after the source of Kasamatsu’s agitation had flitted off like the dream figment he may as well have been. Kasamatsu was only just finishing the final rounds of the night.

The animals needed their water checked, their nighttime medicines administered, their heads kissed goodnight— it was tradition, and the man could not fault the way each creatures calmed when shown they would not be forgotten in the night. That all said, he felt like he was walking on eggshells; there was no way Moriyama knew, of course not, because he hadn’t been there and Hayakawa would never go against Kasamatsu’s word. But his friend had the most infuriating way of piecing things together before even Kasamatsu himself did and it made him feel like he was evading a god of death or something.

Lo and behold, there Moriyama was as he stepped into the adjacent building, hip cocked against the counter and smirk carving a curve up to his ear like he knew everything in the world. Everything but how to land a girlfriend. Kasamatsu scowled, hard, clutching his key in his fist like he was preparing for a brawl. But after a few moments of staring, the older man simply laughed, delighted, and rushed forward to pull Kasamatsu into a hug. “Ohhh, Yuki-oooooo, you should have told me sooner! I  _knew_  I was right!”

Kasamatsu made an ugly sound between horror and offense, pushing the intrusive body away and ducking behind the counter. As if that could protect him. Completely nonplussed, Moriyama continued, folding his hands gently over his heart and looking to the heavens like an angel blessed. “To think of my dear, bumbling friend scoring higher than an eight! Honestly, I was getting a little jealous thinking about it.” He paused, holding a hand to his head as he thought. “But, well, I’ve never much considered my hotness scale for men; never thought I’d need it. That  _Kise_ , though— he’s definitely up there.”

He looked over, delighted to see the violent flush that had risen to burn at Kasamatsu’s ears and neck, his scowl rather impressive for a man so embarrassed. “Are you done?” he asked, but Moriyama only laughed again, jumping up to sit on the counter.

"Now, I can’t say much from experience—"

"You never can, you single piece of shit—"

"But." Placing his hand on a rigid shoulder, Moriyama coached his expression into something serious. "I’ve never seen someone get that worked up over a grumpy jerk they met  _once_. Give him a chance, all right? If it all works out, maybe we’ll get an adoption out of it.”

Rather than respond, Kasamatsu shoved the keys to the building directly into Moriyama’s face, rushing out of the room and, presumably, to his car. There was only minimal fussing before laughter sounded off behind him, but— but Kasamatsu couldn’t find it in himself to be legitimately angry. Moriyama was looking out for him, in his own way, and he appreciated it, he guessed. But he didn’t like this sort of attention directed at him. He was content enough to tend to the animals and watch his business thrive with the help of his coworkers. That’s all he asked for.

But, well. The fates surely had something different in mind.

For the first time since that morning, Kasamatsu turned on his cellphone, watching as several notifications vied for his attention. The one that recieved it, however, was a message from a number he’d never seen before. It could only be one person.

He stared at the text for several minutes, sitting alone in his car in the dimly-lit parking lot. Everything about it… suited the blond. From the obnoxious emoji to the abject earnestness, expressed even through such a short message. He couldn’t believe it.

> **To** : Kise Ryouta
> 
> **Message** : I’m looking you up when I get home to make sure you haven’t got any stalking charges.

Almost immediately— it almost startled Kasamatsu into dropping his phone— there was a response. And another.

> **From** : Kise Ryouta
> 
> **Message** : ( ≧Д≦) How mean! I’m showing every courtesy, you bully!

> **From** : Kise Ryouta
> 
> **Message** : Get home safely, though. I am really looking forward to that date.

Kasamatsu scoffed, leaning his head against the steering wheel and allowing the material to press soothingly against his heated face. It felt as if a million little insects were fluttering tiny wings against his stomach, and— and that surely wasn’t medically sound. He was in no position to drive.

"What an idiot."

* * *

Two days later, Kasamatsu received a message detailing reservations to an expensive restaurant in the city. Before he’d even finished reading it (he only registered some cutesy face at the end and the fact that Kise said he needn’t split the pay), he smashed his finger against the call button, pressing the phone to his ear in righteous outrage.

Kise was clearly at a loss as he answered. “K-k-kasamatsu-san! Are you okay?? Are the reservations okay???”

But Kasamatsu only huffed. “I can’t allow you to pay for a date like that. I’m older than you, yeah? At least let me pay for my half.”

There was a whine, childlike, that made Kasamatsu cringe. “But that’s not romantic at all! This isn’t a business meeting! Let me treat you, pleeease?”

For some reason, the very thought made Kasamatsu incredibly uneasy. He and Moriyama had paid for each other’s food all through college— it wasn’t a foreign concept or a matter of upbringing— but this… was like Kise expected things of him. And of course he was, this was a _date_ , but he supposed that was what made him uncomfortable. He’d go, of course, and he’d meet with this awkwardly familiar man, but he wouldn’t let that fact— that they seemed to know each other, somehow— cloud his judgement. Kise was… still a stranger. ‘Famous’ or not, he wasn’t going receive any special privileges.

“No way. We’ll have your date, but I’m paying for me.”

He could hear Kise’s frown.

“You make it sound like I’m putting you through something awful. Try to enjoy yourself, okay? I really think you’ll like it. You don’t have to dress very nice, and you won’t have to talk to anyone. Except me. I mean, you could not talk to me, but that would be kind of weird??”

Despite himself, Kasamatsu huffed out a small laugh. Kise was… rambling. “Shut up. I’ll be there, and I’ll even talk to you.”

“Ha ha ha! Okay! You’ve probably got things to be doing right now though, yeah? So I’ll leave you to it.”

Kasamatsu looked down at the pen in his hands, the invoices he’d been working on laid out across his desk. “Right. Yeah. Okay, I’ll talk to you later. Bye, Kise.” He hung up before Kise could offer anything else, setting his phone face-down on the desk as he stared absently downward. Kise’s eyes had never disrupted his life like this when they remained contained to his dreams; they were refreshing, were promising, but when he woke up they were nothing more than that: a pleasant dream. But with this Kise— this real, true, living Kise who worked in fashion and media and seemed all the more fantastical for it— made him incredibly apprehensive. Like they were destined for something that he’d never given his consent for.

So there was this innate feeling, on principle, that made him want to blow Kise off without a second thought; he didn’t have time for a flippant famous model rushing in like a storm. At the same time, he wasn’t… actually opposed to this. He was attracted to the younger blonde, to the way he seemed to draw Kasamatsu in like birds to a pond, and he wanted to let himself be swept up in his energy. But he’d never let anyone have that sort of control over him. It was… frightening.

He clutched the pencil in his hand hard, taking a deep breath for a moment before continuing his work with as light a touch as possible, forcing himself to be calm, to be relaxed, to not pique the interest of any of the animals in their kennels. They were too attuned to his emotions.

* * *

He tugged nervously at his coat, avoiding the eyes of every stranger that walked briskly past him on the sidewalk; businessmen on their bluetooths shouting commands, groups of women chatting emphatically, couples holding each other close as if the crowd were an ocean current about to pull them away. Everything was a force to be reckoned with, was movement, and Kasamatsu tried hard to stand still as he waited for a shock of blonde to come barreling straight for him.

He’d come early, out of nervousness and inexperience with the area, and he sort of regretted it now; Kise didn’t seemed the punctual sort, even on a date he himself set up, so he expected to be standing here for…. a while.

But his expectations failed to be met as a tall man bundled in blue jacket, ball cap, and sunglasses sidled up next to him, looking out over the crowd with a grin. “Hey, Kasamatsu. Were you here long?”

Kasamatsu balked.

“K— use honorifics, idiot!” He straightened his coat once morr out of indignance, turning around as if to leave. He didn’t know where the restaurant was, however, and so he was… more or less forced to wait.

Kise laughed, easily following Kasamatsu’s movement and stopping by his side. “Sorry, sorry, but it’s a date! Besides, you didn’t when you said goodbye to me on the phone. Can I hold your hand?”

Kasamatsu hardly had enough time to turn red and sputter out a flustered “what— I didn’t— I  _guess”_  before he was being tugged along into the tide, coats and arms brushing against him as Kise pulled them through the throngs of people. It made Kasamatsu want to panic, a little— he didn’t like being around so many people, didn’t like not having control of a situation— but he felt a light squeeze on his hand and looked up to see Kise shooting him a reassuring smile before continuing on on his mission.

He may not have been able to see the model’s eyes, but he could still feel them— piercing, emphatic. Knowing. As if he was privy to more about Kasamatsu than even he himself.

It was a bit easier to handle the crowd, but he still felt like he couldn’t quite breathe.

Eventually Kise came to the restaurant entrance he seemed to be looking for. Kasamatsu was in a daze, but he faintly realized they were being shown to a secluded booth in the back, turned away from the larger restaurant. He sat, thanked the waitress, and thought _I should take off my jacket_. He’d gotten much too warm, caught off guard as he was by Kise taking his hand.

Speaking of which.

Kasamatsu gave Kise a sharp, questioning look, and once again the other man laughed.

“Sorry, is this too much? I liked holding your hand, and it seemed better than having you look so uncomfortable.” Kise let go of the vet’s hand from across the booth finally, leaning forward to rest his chin on the table, his arms surrounding his face like a sky-blue pillow.

Oh.

He looked. Very nice. Picturesque.

Kasamatsu furrowed his brow, looking away for a moment. “What did you have planned, then, other than making moves on me?” He sounded more embarrassed than intimidating and he _knew_ it.

Kise only smiled sweetly, gaze seeming to linger on Kasamatsu’s expression for a beat too long before he sat up straight. “I didn’t know what you liked, or if you might be vegetarian or anything. That’s a thing I’d expect a vet to be. But, well, the menu here is pretty varied.” Seeing that he had Kasamatsu’s attention once more, he paused, handing him one of the menus the waitress had dropped off. “I think you’ll like it.”

He felt like he was being smiled down on by the sun on an autumn afternoon, a pleasant warmth drifting in through the window. He felt like he could curl up and sleep under that smile.

But that was ridiculous.

He hummed, trying his best for noncommittal as he took the menu. It really was to his tastes, it seemed, and that somehow made Kasamatsu both pleased and annoyed at once.

As if picking up on his apparent discomfort, Kise began engaging him in small talk; dinner conversation. It was silly, and inane, and Kise was far too interested in the most inconsequential things. Like— like what his favorite  _snacks_  were, what kind of writing utensils he preferred, whether or not any of the animals he housed had become a favorite.

(“No, of course not. They all need care to recover; sometimes one will need more attention than most, but you have to care for all of them the same. Otherwise, they know. And I’m not in the business for fostering abandonment issues in domestic animals.”

“Then what are you in the business for?”

“To make a difference. Maybe. And to keep Moriyama out of trouble.”)

Wine was poured for them both, and they sipped at it in the lulls of conversation.

Kise asked about his friends, his employees (one in the same, really), about his family and whether or not he’d grown up with any animals. Kasamatsu was inclined to ask him to stop prying— he had no right to know this much about him— but there was something about the way Kise asked, about the careful, earnest attention in his eyes, that implored Kasamatsu to keep going. After a while, he tired of it and began asking questions of his own.

By the time their food arrived— he only distantly remembered ordering— he’d not only calmed down with the blonde but  _opened up_  to him. Being this comfortable was  _uncomfortable_ , but he could hear Moriyama’s voice in the back of his head like a nagging self-care conscience.  _Let yourself relax for once, you grouch,_  it said.  _Give him a chance_. But wasn’t that exactly what he was doing?

At some point during their dinner, Kise had wanted to show Kasamatsu a video on his phone and had eagerly wiggled his way against Kasamatsu’s side to force him to make room. “So you can see better. I wanna watch it again too!!” He didn’t mind, so much. It was comfortable, and warm, and he very much felt like a kitten who’d been left out to bask in the sun. He was tired, but relaxed. Content. He really did spend too much of his time uncomfortable. This was nice.

Feeling the light buzz of alcohol and the seemingly natural effect of Kise’s energy pulling at him, Kasamatsu allowed himself to lean against the younger man, laying his head against the other’s as they peered at the flashing of the small phone screen. If he were a little more attentive, he would have noticed the incredible flush that spread across his dinner partner’s face. As it were, however, he let out a startled chuckle at the hijinx on the screen.

After some time it seemed that the restaurant was winding down, patrons filing out as the night wore on. While it wasn’t particularly late— they’d been there for two hours and it had only gotten dark a little after they arrived— the restaurant was closing early in preparation of some event the next day. Kasamatsu noticed this rather belatedly, shooting Kise a questioning look. “Hey, what’s our plan? They close soon.”

Kise seemed amused. “It’s okay. We can leave if you want, but they’re involved in a promotional event I’m helping with. They don’t mind me staying after they close. Besides,” he leaned in close, softly brushing an accusing finger against Kasamatsu’s cheek, “I’m harmless. Aren’t I?”

Kasamatsu guessed that he was supposed to be  _charmed_. While he would admit (quietly, and only to himself) that he enjoyed Kise’s company— that he made him more relaxed in a public atmosphere than he’d been in years— Kise was not suave. Flirtatious, handsome,  _whatever_ , yeah, sure. But there was no way in hell this kid would be sweeping him off his feet. Not with that childish indulgence.

Kasamatsu smiled, but it was not quite kind. “Yeah, harmless. Like a brat with too much money.” And he smacked the hand away.

“Hey!” Kise looked offended, but he seemed to brush it off after a moment. “If you’re gonna call me a brat with too much money— totally untrue by the way— then you should at least let me pay for your dinner. Ple~ase?”

Rolling his eyes, Kasamatsu stood. “Go ahead, I guess. I certainly more than paid my time, having to listen to you ramble on all night.”

“Mean! Meaaan! So mean!”

He laughed, collecting his coat. “I’m going to wait outside. It’s too warm in here, and we should get going. Is that okay?”

Kise blinked owlishly before nodding. “Yeah, okay. It should only take a minute. Don’t get lost or something.”

“As if I would.”

When Kise came outside, Kasamatsu had his hands stuffed deep in his pockets, the outdoor chill seeping pleasantly into his skin. He felt like he should be embarrassed, coming out to dinner with a younger man— a famous, handsome younger man, seeing as he had to try and hide his appearance every time he went anywhere— but he couldn’t quite find it in him. Maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was his satisfaction with the comfort in his bones. Kise was annoying, and bratty, and full of himself, but he was also… passionate. Strangely attentive. Kasamatsu didn’t know if he’d had that much attention trained on him since high school, but even then… it was a team sport. It was different.

Kise hopped in place for a moment, shoving his hands in his pockets and giving an exaggerated shiver. “Eeeh, it’s getting colder and colder. I like it though. I like being bundled up.”

Kasamatsu smiled a bit, watching Kise sidelong. “I bet it’s easier to go out, too. Though your disguises are piss poor.”

Kise stuck out his tongue and made a rude noise, but otherwise seemed nonplussed by the comment. He started walking and, still unsure of their plans, Kasamatsu followed after him. “Like I said before, it used to be worse when I was younger. I spent most of my time in high school modeling, and the girls were  _so_  into that. Which coincidentally meant it was hard to go anywhere without something or another happening. Now I still get accosted, but it’s fine. People can usually tell that I don’t want to be talked to, and I’m not actually famous enough or young enough anymore for people to be bothered. Which is kind of nice.”

Kasamatsu hummed. He couldn’t imagine being a model; being followed, being watched, being scrutinized  _all the time_. And in  _high school_? He supposed he could understand some of Kise’s need for the self-assured attitude. But he also felt that some of it was just inherent brattiness.

There were fewer people out on the streets, but Kasamatsu still felt a little uncomfortable. Not that he’d take Kise’s hand or anything. He walked close. After a block or so, he nudged Kise’s shoulder. “Where are we going?”

Kise looked a little too happy. “I was thinking I would take you to get some sweets, and then I’d walk you— well. To the subway station. Or home, if you’d like.”

Though there wasn’t any hidden meaning in Kise’s words, Kasamatsu couldn’t help but choke a bit, heat rising to his face. Which in turn forced Kise to turn an embarrassing shade of red, sputtering out a broken “I didn’t mean— I wasn’t trying to— I just—”

Kasamatsu was sure that if Moriyama was here, he’d be _cackling_. Fuck. Where’d he get off, hearing intentions where there weren’t any? Maybe he was just nervous; Kise seemed at times far too calculating to be this honest. Then again, Kasamatsu couldn’t imagine some conniving young heartbreaker looking near tears with embarrassment over something so silly. Feeling the need to make up for his blunder, Kasamatsu cleared his throat, hiding his face behind one hand as he pushed Kise forward with another. “It doesn’t matter, just— just go to the sweets place, or whatever.”

Kise complied, but Kasamatsu could still feel the flushed embarrassment emanating from him. It took Kasamatsu a bit longer before he felt comfortable showing his face. Even so— it wasn’t an awful feeling. More like they were in high school; stupid teenagers.

They ended up getting some dark chocolate— Kasamatsu didn’t like things too sweet— and sharing it on the way to the station. He figured they’d spent enough time together for a first date; if anything else were to happen, well—

First they’d need to not become red, embarrassed messes at the mention of it.

As the time neared for Kasamatsu to leave, they began to say their goodbyes.

“You know, I expected this to be worse than it was,” Kasamatsu noted, looking rueful.

Kise feigned a look of hurt, but by now he could tell that the vet was playing with him. “You’re a very grumpy old man, you know that? Next time I’ll take you, like, golfing or something, so you can  _criticize_  me better.”

Kasamatsu laughed. “I don’t know how to golf.  _Basketball_ , though. I could probably beat you easy.”

“Ohhh? We’ll see about that. I’m, like, literally one of the best basketball players ever; I almost don’t want to tell you because I don’t want you to get discouraged.”

“Don’t make excuses to run away just because you’re scared, Kise.”

They were both grinning, caught up in the small world they'd created for themselves. Neither quite wanted to be the first to leave, but, luckily, the station didn’t give them the chance for that decision.

_Last call for inbound to Kanagawa. Last call for inbound to Kanagawa._

“Ah. Well.” Kise looked up, then back to Kasamatsu, suddenly appearing as if he needed to memorize every contour of Kasamatsu’s face before it disappeared forever. It made him… kind of squirmy. But he supposed he appreciated it.

Before he could lose the nerve, Kasamatsu leaned forward to give Kise a light kiss on the corner of his mouth. He figured it was… a good indication about how he felt. In a few words: unsure, but interested. He pulled away with a small smile. “Tonight was nice. I’ll talk to you later.” And with that, he turned, quick to be sure he did not miss the subway train’s departure.

Somehow, he knew that if he turned around he’d see Kise’s cheeks flushed bright red, a hand covering the mouth that had not quite been kissed.

He grinned to himself, tucking his chin in against his chest as he nestled into the subway car. He was looked forward to the next time they spoke. What he wasn’t looking forward to, he supposed, was his best friend’s interrogation the next day.


	4. interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tbh this chapter feels kind of forced and mechanical but i wrote it AFTER i wrote the majority of the next chapter which i actually really like?? and i hope you will too. so bare with me here.

Kise had never been more grateful for his gift in his life.

One might think that seeing the future in your dreams would be a blessing, something to help you get ahead in the world, but such was not the case when the most notable things you'd ever seen were either irrelevant or incriminating. It was easy to see a snippet of something-- a face, a sound, a moment-- and misconstrue it entirely, and he  _had_  often enough for his friends to think he was just sort of  _stupid_  rather than gifted with precognition. Naive, maybe, and a little self-centered-- he could admit to that!-- but he was more perceptive than people gave him credit for, his special ability be damned.

But in a show of some sort of mercy, his dreams lately had been illuminating, had been  _focused_. Things slipped in that were typical and easy to ignore-- Midorima was going to have an incredibly unlucky day next week, Momoi was going to find a pair of jeans that fit her spectacularly, though she would be torn about buying them because she didn't  _like_  jeans, and Kuroko was going to find a reason to hang out with him some point soon-- but for the most part all he saw was blue, was black, was furrowed brows and a smile that turned soft at the corners. He saw gentle hands. He saw panic, too, when crowds pressed too close, and he saw small pleasure in meatless foods. 

When he awoke from these dreams he laid in bed for several minutes after his alarm sounded, basking in a quiet happiness warmer than the morning sunlight creeping through his bedroom windows, smile tugging at his cheeks unbidden until he embarrassed himself enough to bury his face into his pillows.

It was quickly after that that he got up and prepared for the day, quite aware that he was already running late for a meeting with his agent at a coffee shop she frequented. She  _hated_  when he was late-- she was so very punctual herself-- but she'd also been his agent for... almost a decade. She knew him. 

Since he'd left high school and decided to pursue modeling as full-time work, he'd been more busy than even juggling basketball, school, and part-time modeling had previously kept him. Apparently it wasn't just enough to be pretty and perceptive, took more than just having an agent that put up with him. Apparently, it took  _work_. 

He'd thrown himself into it bitterly, really, taking his frustration out on himself by condemning his future to a past-time that he'd never really enjoyed. It was fun, he supposed, but it was also  _easy_ , boring, or so he thought at the time. It wouldn't be for several years until he found a reason to enjoy modeling, but even then he still looked back on high school with heated regret. He shouldn't have tried so hard. He should have paced himself. But he knew he never could have come close to beating Aomine even if he had, so what was the point? Kise didn't give up. Not on the things he wanted.

But he couldn't be angry anymore. Or, he couldn't right now. He had better things to think about. Like Kasamatsu Yukio.

He already had plans in the making, his dreams giving him little hints. He'd take him to a restaurant-- he was't sure where yet, but he knew it had to have a vegan menu, or at least a pleasant selection without meat-- somewhere in the city where he would be forced to wait in a crowd. Kise knew, now, that the vet didn't like them. He must have had some sort of anxiety aimed at people which, really, made plenty of sense; he spent all his time with animals and only a handful of co-workers, delegating being the face of their clinic to the very personable and apparently very  _familiar_  Moriyama (he remembered seeing a name tag and he was still a little bitter about the man's apparent teasing). But Kise would swoop in and save him just as he was getting uncomfortable, taking his hand and becoming an anchor. Maybe it was a little hopeful and a little far-fetched, but it was a  _plan_ , and he rather liked how it painted him.

He came to attention as fingers snapped quickly-- loudly!-- in his face, startling him. He looked into the eyes of his agent, all hard and no-nonsense and annoyed, but that was hardly out of the ordinary. Kise flashed her a warm smile that, true to form, left her completely unfazed. If anything, she only seemed  _more_  annoyed. 

"What's gotten into you? You're mooning."

Kise took a moment to be offended. "I am  _not!_  I don't moon. I've never  _mooned_. Who even says that?"

She stared at him a moment more, critically, before sitting back in her seat, back straight and arms crossed. "I do. You've been looking dreamily out the window for the past ten minutes and the only response I've gotten out of you regarding this job was a quiet sigh. You're mooning, and I can't say I particularly care  _why_ , but I would prefer you focus." The shoulders of her dress suit turned up at the edges into sharp points, making her look all the more severe. Kise had always appreciated that about her; she intimidated him and it was, if nothing else, familiar. All the other Miracles had a presence that turned oppressive and overwhelming in the right circumstances, and it had taken longer than his flippant behavior by their sides might imply to grow at all immune to it. For Akashi, he never really had.

"I've been listening," he said, after a moment. "Restaurant promotion. I'm supposed to be there at the promotional event and say good things about it. Seems kinda dull, Mieko-san."

She frowned at him, hard, but allowed her posture to relax with a gentle exhale. "Yes, well, you're not going to get high-profile offers thrown at your feet every day. You're still plenty pretty, but it's a competitive world, Kise."

And he knew as much. He was young still, just twenty-five, but if he wasn't careful-- if he didn't find something to do with himself  _soon--_  he'd have to look into another line of work. He laughed. "Maybe I should have gone on to be a pilot after all!"

"Maybe," she replied simply. Always so cynical with her. But, well... it only seemed to be no-nonsense people that dealt with him. Predictable. 

"Is there anything else?"

Mieko began packing her things back into her suitcase, taking a final sip at her coffee. "I've already emailed you the time and date in case you forget, the new menu, and the owner's number. It shouldn't be very complicated." 

Kise hummed, glancing once more out the window at the people passing by on their way back from lunch.

"Take care of whatever's got you so distracted, Kise, or at least hide it better. Nobody likes an inattentive guest." Mieko knocked her empty coffee container against his head as she passed him by. He laughed.

"Yeah, okay."

When he opened the email later that night and took a look at the menu, he knew, finally, where he would be taking Kasamatsu on their date.  

* * *

When he'd returned home, the night of their outing, the first thing he did was text Kuroko.

> **To** : Kurokocchi  
>  **Message** : i'm going to swoon

> **To** : Kurokocchi  
>  **Message** : he kissed me goodbye! sort of. kurokocchi, i think i'm dying. is this what dying feels like? i could probably die happy right now. but of course i can't die because then i wouldn't know about momocchi's new outfit. if she texts you about jeans, by the way, tell her to get them. do you think if i stop having dreams that means im going to die?

He ran and launched himself onto his bed, bothering only to leave his shoes at the door before folding himself up in his sheets and holding his phone close to his face. He knew Kuroko was probably still awake, but he also knew he had a bad habit of not answering texts. Or maybe it was just that he didn't answer Kise's texts. He wouldn't be surprised. 

But, much to his delight, his phone lit up with a reply.

> **From** : Kurokocchi  
>  **Message** : Please calm down. Is this the vet?

> **To** : Kurokocchi  
>  **Message** : yes! my dreams told me all about where i would take him and it was perfect. it's like reading spoilers for a good video game but finally playing it and knowing all the details.

> **From** : Kurokocchi  
>  **Message** : That doesn't sound fun at all. How old is he? 

Kise frowned. 

> **To** : Kurokocchi  
>  **Message** : uhm? probably... later twenties. i don't know. not old! thank you for worrying about my virtue <3 <3 <3

> **From** : Kurokocchi  
>  **Message** : I'm not. He works for Kaijou Blue, right? We should visit.

Kise blinked blankly at his screen, baffled into silence. Kuroko cared about Kise more than he let on, but he also didn't go out of his way to do things for him. Was he really so worried? Perhaps assuming this would be his train of thought, Kuroko sent another reply.

> **From** : Kurokocchi  
>  **Message** : They have dogs you can pet. I haven't pet a dog in thirty years.

He wrinkled his nose for a moment before laughing to himself, shifting under the blankets to sit up and remove his coat before typing out a reply.

> **To** : Kurokocchi  
>  **Message** : yeah, okay. when are you free?

> **From** : Kurokocchi  
>  **Message** : Their webpage says they're open on Saturday morning. We should go then.

> **To** : Kurokocchi  
>  **Message** : alright!! we'll meet here, then, at eight. i'm excited!

Kise didn't get another message after that, but he didn't need to. Belatedly, he realized this must have been the outing he'd seen in his dream. These visions were becoming more frequent lately and it might have concerned him but, mostly, he was just grateful. He admired Kuroko, and it had been months since they'd spent any time together. They were more alike than either of them pretended to be-- calculating, if a little manipulative-- but they projected themselves differently and, honestly, Kise would have killed for Kuroko's ability to seemingly blink out of sight. But it wasn't something he could copy, and as much made him think that maybe it wasn't a simple lack of presence. 

He thought a lot of things about his fellow "miracles", actually, but none of them had ever been confirmed. If they too had abilities beyond basketball then only Kise had been vocal about it, and... well, maybe that's why they were so quiet. They never did like to include him in things, even if it was silence. 

* * *

When they arrived on Saturday in front of the Clinic entrance, Kuroko looked about as excited as one could be without actually smiling. It made Kise grin, though, and he showed more than enough delight for the both of them. As he opened the door, bell jingling pleasantly only to be mimicked by the birds sitting high on their perches, he gave Moriyama a look happy enough to imply he didn't hold the other man's teasing against him. That wasn't true, of course-- Kise would carry it to his grave, probably; or maybe not. Who knows?-- but still. 

They were the only two there besides Moriyama; it was probably a slow morning. Moriyama stared at him for only a moment before turning his head and calling, almost idly, into the back room: "Hey! Mr. 9 is here!"

He had only a moment to wonder what the hell he meant by the nickname before two heads popped out from behind the doorframe, one stacked atop the other. One of them was the man who'd come in with the dogs from their walk, before, (Hayakawa?) and the other was the one Kise assumed was in charge of behavioral training. Or maybe not. He didn't really know how many people worked at the clinic, but he could assume. 

"Well he certainly  _looks_  like a model," the presumable-trainer remarked. 

Kise's eyebrows shot up. But before he could comment-- he wasn't even sure if he  _would_  have-- Kasamatsu ran in and pulled them both back by the collar of their shirts. "Fuck off and get back to work, you shouldn't be gawking at customers!" He then turned to Moriyama, glaring for a moment before simply saying "shut up."

Moriyama laughed, handsomely, and Kise took the moment to admire just how endearing Kasamatsu looked when apparently embarrassed. Aggressive, of course, but Kise couldn't really imagine anything less. He laughed, too, and Kasamatsu cut his glare to him.

"What are you doing? You should have-- warned me. Or something." He backtracked a little, almost as if embarrassed to admit that they were even in contact, but from the looks of things everybody in the clinic know they'd at least gone on a date. The workers here at Kaijou seemed very close. If Kise gave it more than a moment's thought, he likely would have felt a little jealous, but as it was he had a friend of his own to introduce.

He stepped aside, gesturing to Kuroko, the man more or less entranced by the kittens that were currently tagging at his shoelaces. "Kurokocchi said he wanted to pet dogs. Conveniently, there is a place I know with dogs to pet. Would you kindly?" He smiled a classically photogenic smile, reveling in the way Kasamatsu seemed to look even more harassed. It was funny. And cute.

"Kobori~" Moriyama called, easily, and the man who Kise had guessed to be the trainer walked back out with two small dogs in his arms. Kise looked over just in time to see Kuroko's eyes light up a bit-- it made him feel warm, honestly-- and watched as he approached the other man, only to surprise him with his presence. Kobori obviously hadn't seen him. While it was still unsettling even to Kise to sometimes turn around and find the short man inexplicably there, it didn't make it any less funny when Kuroko startled over people; even Moriyama, with the face of a proper host, looked honestly perplexed. Meanwhile Kasamatsu had retreated into the clinic, but Kise didn't feel it was a huge loss. He'd come back out eventually or, bar that, Kise knew that he wouldn't be denied access to the back rooms. 

He stayed and chatted with Moriyama and Kobori, asking about the finer points of the business while they in turn asked after his life as a model. While he liked the attention, he honestly felt any information regarding himself was rather dull. Predictable, almost. He'd never really imagined this life for himself, and the longer it went on the more Kise wondered at all his mistakes.

Almost as if sensing his negative introspection-- Kise knew he didn't, but his friend had incredible timing-- Kuroko appeared at his side holding up a small dog. Kise blinked, startled mid-sentence, before he barked out a short laugh. It looked eerily like the former passing specialist, intense blue gaze and all, and, well! Leave it Kuroko to find a mini version of himself.

"I'm keeping him," Kuroko said simply.

"Pfft. Is he up for adoption? You can't just take the dog, Kurokocchi."

Kasamatsu entered the room once more, gazing at them with a resigned disgruntlement aimed at least partly at their congregation at the front of his clinic. He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "It's fine. Someone found him in the rain one day and it's been three months since we've been trying to contact any previous owner." He paused, looking slightly uncomfortable. "They sort of have the same eyes."

Kuroko had gone to sit down, the puppy curling up neatly in his lap, and Kise wondered for a moment why he hadn't seen this. It was nice. Sweet. But, well, there was no reason to spoil all the surprises. 

"It'll take a few weeks to go through the adoption process," Kobori noted. "We do background checks, to make sure they're going to a good home." 

"Precaution, you know," Moriyama chimed in, leaning against the counter. "People try and take animals from pounds all the time to do sick things to them. It's a little different here, since people often just bring their sick pets, but we like to be safe."

It made sense.

They stayed for an hour or so longer before Kuroko stood, announcing he needed to be heading out. Kise, not about to waste any time with his  _best friend_ \-- "we're not"-- also bid his farewell, blowing Kasamatsu a kiss as they walked out the door. Faint sounds of angry embarrassment could be heard behind him, masked behind the laughter of close friends. It made Kise smile and, rather than feel jealous-- it was an ugly feeling and one that he'd tried to chase out of his heart for years-- he wondered what it would be like to be welcomed into that dynamic. He'd never had many friends, and even his former teammates were more him holding desperately on than anything concrete. But, well... he couldn't sell them sort either. They might not have treated him with any warmth, but they often cared, or at least showed some regard. Kuroko was here with him now, wasn't he?

"Did he meet your standards?" He asked, suddenly.

Kuroko was silent a moment as they walked. Kise almost thought he hadn't heard him, or that he simply didn't want to respond, but eventually he spoke up. "He seems like a genuinely passionate person, I think, if rather angry." 

"Are you just saying that because you're getting a dog out of this?" Kise teased. 

But Kuroko only hummed, neither confirming nor denying, and Kise laughed in response.

He'd learned not to pine for Kuroko's friendship so much over the years. He might not have liked Kise as he did Kagami or his Seirin teammates, but they'd been close, for a while, and if nothing else Kuroko too welcomed that familiarity. Kise could accept this. No one else, after all, had bothered to come out and meet the man of his dreams. No one else so effortlessly, if silently, believed Kise when he said such outlandish things. Or maybe Kuroko just didn't press it. Either way, Kise was grateful, and he was glad they'd come out that day.


	5. day five: graduation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright so!!! this is my favorite chapter of this fic so far, if only because i'm more comfortable writing things that have a heavier tone. like, is the first time i've ever just written something fluffy and happy!! but i'm very glad you all seem to like it, and i hope you like this chapter too. i think it's very sweet.
> 
> im not sure if i'll write another chapter after this, but if i do i think it might just be sort of... periodic future things. i only have an idea for one more chapter— mostly because there was one more prompt for kisekasa week, and i can't believe i'm only getting to these now— but if you'd like to see anything after that, maybe suggest it?
> 
> thank you very much for keeping up with this story!

It had been several weeks since Kuroko signed the initial adoption documents and since then he'd come in nearly every day to play with the dog. It was clear enough that he was going to pass the check, as if being friends with Kise—a genuinely okay person, as far as Kasamatsu cared; he was good with the animals, if nothing else— wasn't indication enough. The younger man seemed like a very stoic person, expressions as soft and fleeting as his very presence, but he was obviously delighted by the expressive dog. As much as they looked alike, he was... rather endeared by the apparent difference. Or maybe Kuroko was just guarded.

At any rate, it wasn't his business.

Until Kuroko started doing his fucking  _magic trick_  shit.

Just the other day Kasamatsu had come out of the operating room— Watanabe's miniature dachshund needed a split for its broken leg, but before as much could be done Kasamatsu needed the proper anesthetic to set the bone— only to turn around and find Kuroko at his back. He'd jumped (much to his embarrassment) and nearly dropped everything in his hands, a long moment falling over them where all he could do was stare into Kuroko's eyes with horror. Quietly, voice tight with shock and anger, Kasamatsu asked why he was back in the clinic when he ought to have stayed up front. In lieu of replying he'd simply held up the dog by the armpits, gesturing to the food on the floor before standing and taking his leave. Kasamatsu had needed to collect his wits before returning to work, taking a moment to snatch up his phone and send an offended message.

> **To** : Kise Ryouta  
>  **Message** : Come get your fucking ghost friend before he gives me a heart attack. 

> **From** : Kise Ryouta  
>  **Message** : ????

> **From** : Kise Ryouta  
>  **Message** : OH!

> **From** : Kise Ryouta:  
>  **Message** : ha ha ha

Kise was, predictably, unrepentant for the dilemma he'd introduced into Kasamatsu's life.

He too had been spending more time at the clinic, showing up unannounced when he had the time and the energy. The first time Kasamatsu had asked if Kise had anything better to do, to which the model only replied by rattling off his schedule. It... had been surprisingly busy. And yet Kise grinned, assuring him that he was very good at time management. This was better than being accosted by strangers or sitting alone in his apartment.

That rather effectively shut Kasamatsu up on the matter.

* * *

"Kasamatsu, Kurokocchi and Momocchi decided on a name for the dog," Kise told him, some days later.

"Have they?"

"Yeah, yeah, look!" Kise jumped up and shoved his phone in the vet's face. He was busy, of course, but it wasn't pressing enough to need his full concentration, and so he humored Kise for the most part. It didn't occur to him that had anyone else intruded in on his space so quickly, he would have shoved them away without a second thought.

> **From** : Momocchi  
>  **Message** : Ki-chan!! Ki-chan, Tetsu's new puppy is literally Tetsu #2!

> **To** : Momocchi  
>  **Message** : i know!!

> **From** : Momocchi  
>  **Message** : We're calling him  
>  Nigou.  
>  ＼＼\\(۶•̀ᴗ•́)۶//／／

> **To** : Momocchi  
>  **Message** : oh my god 

> **From** : Momocchi  
>  **Message** : Do you like it?!?!

> **To** : Momocchi  
>  **Message** : i love it ( *¯ ³¯*)

He looked up from the screen and gave Kise a blank stare before going back to his work. "I can't believe you actually text like that."

"Pffft." Kise resumed tapping out messages on the device, turning to find a seat so he was less likely to be in the way. Kasamatsu had half a mind to tell him to leave to the front— he had no reason to be back here, honestly— but he supposed he liked the company. It wasn't like Kise was doing anything more than  _existing_.

* * *

"I scheduled a play date for you and Mr. 9," Moriyama told him, some days later.

" _What_."

Moriyama smiled pleasantly to himself, eyeing the way Kasamatsu's back tensed, voice a deathly calm before the storm. "You left your phone on— very much unlike you, by the way— and he sent you a text while you were in the back. Being the angel of love that I am, I decided to help things along."

Kasamatsu turned like a whip, glare so hot that it would have melted another man. "Why are you so intent on meddling? And stop calling him that!" Moriyama, however, had known him since high school; he might have seen that expression more often than his smile. Not to say that Kasamatsu was a wholly unpleasant or angry person, but it delighted Moriyama to rile him up.

Laughing, he replied, "what can I say? I love love!"

As he grew older, it became more apparent to Moriyama that it was not relationships that gave him pleasure but the  _idea_  of them, the dynamics of them. He wasn't opposed to being involved— quite the opposite!— but it was hard if not impossible for him to feel the very romantic feelings he was so caught up with. Which was all fine and well, really; it was the simple things in life. Like the exasperation in Kasamatsu's voice, the way his shoulders (so often a hard, straight, professional line) slumped forward just a bit. But he took pity. With Kise in his life, he couldn't monopolize the role of Tormenter any longer.

Voice a bit softer, fond, he continued: "You like him, I can tell. And he likes you. I know you're scared of how well you seem to click, but I hardly think he'll try to take things any faster than you want. And how are you going to get anywhere if all you do is let him sit around when you work? You said he used to be a basketball player. Start there."

Kasamatsu looked offended by Moriyama's words, but they both knew they were true. When he didn't have a role to fulfill— a captain, a student, a vet— he was hard pressed to know where he sat with other people. It had always been a problem in high school, much to Moriyama's amusement and horror; when it came to girls (and it  _did_  come to girls, what with his position on a nationally reputed sports team), he got nervous, got embarrassed, got shaky. He was at a loss. At least with basketball he'd known where on the hierarchy he stood, known that he could be rough and himself amongst his team. At university too this had been the case. Where it was not, he drowned himself in his studies. Kasamatsu had never quite been given the opportunity to develop his interpersonal skills and there was only so much Moriyama could do to encourage his friend; he didn't want to push him out of his comfort zone, but his comfort zone only extended so far as his control.

And it was clear that with Kise, he was not quite in control.

Kasamatsu sighed, leaning against the clinic wall as he regarded his friend carefully. "Don't you have better things to do than manage my personal life?"

"Yukio," he replied, voice light, "We  _are_  your personal life. I'm just looking out for you. If things don't work out, you can blame it on me and I won't say a word to the contrary, but I think this will do you good. Even if you don't pursue a relationship with him."

Kasamatsu looked away, embarrassed but resigned. He really did care what Moriyama thought— always had— and it made Moriyama rather proud to be so important in his friend's life. It was the same for everybody at Kaijou. He wondered, sometimes, if the vet knew just how much his coworkers loved him.

Pleased with this development, Moriyama laughed again, reaching over to smack Kasamatsu good-naturedly on the shoulder. "Great! You're meeting with him on Sunday at the park. Check your phone, I guess. And dress for basketball."

Moment of vulnerability officially passed, Kasamatsu ducked out of his friend's reach, giving him a level glare. "Ugh." And with that he retreated but into the clinic, pretending to ignore Moriyama's pleased humming for the rest of the day.

* * *

They met up at three in the afternoon, chilly winter air biting at their skin. The sun had chased away most lingering moisture on the court, rays warm on the asphalt where they could reach, but it was only a short time before the next snowfall. Moriyama, predictably, had planned it right. It would be a while before conditions were right to go play again.

Kise greeted him with his typical enthusiasm, running to meet him with a smile brighter than the sun in the sky. It took a moment for Kasamatsu to gather himself and respond but, when he did, it was with feigned irritation, telling Kise to give him some space. The model only laughed as if he knew he were lying.

"Are you ready to  _lose_ , Kasamatsu? I really am one of the best." Annoyingly, Kise spoke it as if it were an objective truth rather than conceited boasting.

Kasamatsu scoffed. "You're so full of yourself. What did you even play?"

"Small forward! You?"

"Point guard."

"Oh."

Irritation sparked in Kasamatsu's chest. "Don't sound so disappointed! And don't underestimate me."

Kise laughed good-naturedly, reaching up to rub at the back of his head. "Of course, of course. Ah, but it looks like we won't be playing one on one for a while; people are already here." Despite the disappointment in his words, Kise was grinning. It was clear how excited he was to be here, and Kasamatsu didn't have it in him to be judgmental of the fact. He was too.

It was a simple matter, then, to request joining in on the small gathering of casual players, and they seemed happy to have them. It was finally time to see why Kise was so self-assured in his abilities.

And there was no other word for how he felt but  _awe_. 

Kasamatsu had been captain of his high school basketball team, he'd  _seen_  talent in the Interhigh, in the Winter Cup, but this... he wondered how he'd never heard of Kise. He knew without a doubt that with drive, with training, Kise very well might have become a professional. But here he was playing street ball with him in a park on a Sunday morning, looking picturesque even with sweat dripping down his face. It was... a little unfair, almost. Kise seemed so perfect. He had everything Kasamatsu once wished for, as far as talent went, and with that he could have  _won_ , could have never let his team down...

But, well. Kasamatsu was not a jealous or brooding man. If nothing else, he could content himself with the fact that for all the world Kise appeared a sparkling jewel, he understood the other man was also a self-centered brat.

The moment of bitterness passed, replaced instead by the knowledge that, however good Kise might have been years ago, he was rusty. Kasamatsu was... slightly less so. He could take him.

And so they played. After a while the other men and women on the court dispersed, having jobs or appointments to get to, but they stayed.

"Getting tired, old man?" Kise quipped. From the tone of his voice alone one wouldn't assume he was so obviously fatigued.

Kasamatsu took a moment to dribble the ball thoughtfully. "Of course not." Which... was a lie. He might have kept up his workout routine through university and into his working days— he could not afford to lose his stamina, not with his workload— but it seemed to have slipped his mind that models had to keep in shape too. Their stamina was equally matched. Their skills, perhaps a little less so. But Kasamatsu had always been known for his tenacity.

Kise rushed him, suddenly, and he quickly adjusted his stance to transition from a turnaround into an outside shot. But Kise was used to this— had mimicked it before, cheekily, and much to Kasamatsu's annoyance— and he appeared easily before the older man to block his shot. But suddenly his eyes went wide, surprise flashing through them as he stopped short in his jump, crumpling a bit under his own weight.

The ball went through the hoop with a quiet, uninterrupted  _swoosh_.

"Now who's the old man?" Kasamatsu asked. But it took him only a moment more before he realized what had actually happened, why he had not, in fact, heard of Kise in any professional or semi-professional circuit. He reached out with a steadying hand to grab Kise's upper arm, concerned, but the model simply grinned and waved him off.

"Sorry, sorry, it's nothing. I guess I really am out of shape!"

But Kasamatsu only glared, not fooled in the least. "Get off your feet, idiot." He tugged quickly on Kise's arm, leading him over to a park bench and sitting him down, kneeling in front of him to stare sternly at his calves. They were twitching. He knew this was not simply from them playing; Kise hadn't even been going all out, not in the least. He sighed.

"If you had an old sports injury you should have  _told_  me. I wouldn't have let you stay out here so long."

"I'm not one of your players, Kasamatsu- _senpai_." Kise was pouting, as if Kasamatsu had ruined his fun somehow.

"You're right," he replied, reaching up to thump Kise squarely on the head. "I never would have let your bratty ass on my team."

Kise looked more affronted than hurt, drawing away from Kasamatsu with a loud whine. "You're so mean to me! I'm injured!"

"And whose fault is that?"

It was an honest question, though Kasamatsu didn't need an answer to know. He'd only met Kise a few weeks ago but in that time it felt as if they were uniting after a long absence, and for some reason he could tell that Kise had driven himself past his limit: reckless, ambitious. The thought alone pissed him off. It meant that whatever Kise had felt about basketball, he'd been more concerned with winning a single match, against a single person, a single team, that he'd neglected his own well-being. Kasamatsu knew what it was like to lose, but he could not condone ruining one's own ability to play when he had so much promise.

He sighed, heavily, focusing on making his frustration leave his lungs as quickly as his breath, and he reached out to hover his hands over the other man's calves. "Do you want me to massage them? I don't want you to try going anywhere until they settle down."

Heat creeped up Kise's neck, curving around his ears and down his cheekbones, and Kasamatsu wondered for a moment if there was reason for a man to look so pretty. But his expression did not falter as he waited for an answer. Kise cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. "If you want to. I— you know how, of course? Of course, actually, what am I asking, ha ha, you wouldn't offer if you di— didn't..."

Kasamatsu ignored Kise's babbling and instead set to work with careful hands.

It had been years since he'd assisted any  _human_  with an injury; it felt... oddly nostalgic, honestly. Even in high school his teammates had been surprised by how gentle he could be, despite his temper, his strict captainship, but none of them had ever questioned how much he cared about his team and its individual players. Moriyama— they had been together so long— had attempted to assuage his crushing guilt upon their defeat their third year, the second time Kasamatsu had let their team down, by assuring him that they would never have gotten so far without him, that none of them would rather have another captain. He hadn't believed it really— believed he meant it, of course, but not that he was worthy of his words— but it was a testament to their bond as a team, he supposed. He entertained a moment's of thought as to what it would have been like to have Kise with him in high school, if Kise had been just a few years older. They could have had anything in the world.

Maybe Kise wouldn't have pushed himself to breaking.

He had the careful precision of a doctor's hands, now, and he could tell immediately that he was helping to abate the pain, if the way Kise was slumping against the back of the bench was anything to go by. After a few minutes of this, alternating between legs, he gave them both a brisk rub down before taking a deep breath and standing, only to plop himself right back down beside Kise a moment later. He glanced beside him, taking in Kise's relaxed, unguarded expression. Once again, Kasamatsu felt more than a little uncomfortable. They had no reason to be this familiar with each other this quickly; it felt almost like a setup. But he'd seen how calculating Kise could be, however subtly, and he could tell that this... was no act. He frowned, looking out over the park and the gentle orange haze the setting sun cast across it. 

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes. Thank you. Are you still mad at me?"

"I think I'll always be mad at you, for one thing or another."

Kise snorted. "That's just downright unfair."

Kasamatsu bumped him with his shoulder, not taking his eyes off the scenery before them. "So's being a rich bratty model who could have gone pro if he didn't fuck up his legs."

It was silent after that, tension rippling that made Kasamatsu glance to the left. There was a look like pain on Kise's face, but it was not something he could massage away, so instead Kasamatsu waited. It was none of his business if Kise didn't want to talk about it.

After a few more moments of quiet, the sound of leaves blowing in the afternoon breeze floating above them, Kise said, lightly: "You could meet him, if you wanted. We're still friends. He  _has_  gone pro, and he's amazing."

So he'd been right. Somehow, that was not at all satisfying. "You were close, then. He shouldn't have let you overwork yourself either, if you were rivals."

But Kise laughed, and it sounded genuine. "It wasn't Aominecchi's fault. He was just better than me, and I tried too hard to beat him without ever thinking I really could. I was always the weakest out of our team. They used to call us the Generation of Miracles, you know! It was cool, for a bunch of middle schoolers, and even cooler as a bunch of high schoolers trying to outdo each other. But it probably wasn't healthy. It wasn't until after we all graduated that we worked out our relationships again."

It was not lost on Kasamatsu how meaningful these divulsions were.

He sighed, tugging at his own hair for a moment with the mild frustration of collecting his thoughts. He wondered if this mood, this transparency, would last if he pressed it.

"Why did you go into modeling?" he asked, finally.

Kise looked a little startled by the change in topic but did not seem hesitant to answer, eyes wide with adamance and recollection. "Oh, well. One of my older sisters suggested it to me when I was in junior high. It was really hard for me to stick with things when I was younger; everything was so easy, and I was so good at it so quickly, that I got bored and dropped it almost immediately. But she thought, I think, that because it was a job that I would be good at, I'd be less likely to stop; there was an obligation to be there."

Kasamatsu considered, for a moment, commenting on the abject arrogance, but Kise continued to speak, turning to look out over the park as Kasamatsu had before.

"Because of that I didn't have any friends at school, really. Not that it bothered me. I was so used to dealing with adults that it felt weird with them, and it wasn't like I was going to stick around for very long if I joined another club or team. But then I met Aominecchi." Kise's whole demeanor changed then, as if his body had suddenly been endowed with all his energy and passion.

He sat up straight, looking at Kasamatsu with excitement. "He was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen up until that point, I think. He was so good at basketball and he loved it  _so much_ ; I couldn't help but went to join." With a laugh, he continued, "I didn't get on the first string for a while because I'd never played basketball before, but it wasn't long until I learned what I need to. I'm really good at copying things! Kurokocchi taught me when I first joined; he'll say that he didn't teach me anything, but I probably wouldn't have gotten very far if he wasn't there watching over me. He made me love basketball all the more just because he was so good, but it wasn't even in any conventional way."

Kise sat back against the bench again, sighing happily. Kasamatsu felt like he ought to say something, honestly, but he was so caught up in Kise's enthusiasm. He hadn't expected so much from such a simple question. Maybe Kise had just been waiting to be able to tell someone about it.

"But, well, our team got so good that basketball got boring too. We were so obsessed with winning just because it was easy, but I think part of it was because of our captain. Akaashicchi, was scared of losing, almost. He was ruthless about it. One time he almost got beat by one of our teammates and he turned... sort of scary, really. In the end our team had a falling out, mostly because Kurokocchi got so mad about how things had turned out, and in high school we all did everything we could to beat each other. It was to prove a point, I guess. Kurokocchi and his new teammate, Kagamicchi— he was as good as us, you know, except maybe better just because he's a really pure person, ha ha— well. They teamed up and left us all in the dust. I was so preoccupied with beating Aominecchi— I looked up to him more than anyone in the world— and, eventually, Kagamicchi, that it didn't matter to me when I overextended myself. I didn't like basketball for the sake of the sport anymore, and nothing really changed that. Not until it got to the point I couldn't play."

Kise laughed, but there was an edge to it. Kasamatsu frowned, unsure of how to proceed, but after a moment he reached up and ruffled Kise's hair harshly, pushing his head down. Kise gasped, taken by surprise ("Kasamatsu!"). But when he lifted his hand he let it fall behind Kise's shoulders on the back of the bench. 

"It sounds to me like you just didn't have a team that was supporting you," he said, "which kind of pisses me off. You shouldn't have been allowed to play that recklessly, even if it meant well for you team. Did you play all through high school?"

Kise sniffed, looking a little miserable from the rough treatment a moment ago. "Yeah."

"When did you first hurt your legs?"

"My first year."

"Did it act up later the more you worked?"

"Of course."

"And when did you have to stop playing?"

"In third year, I was officially taken off the first string."

Half-heartedly, Kasamatsu smacked his hand against Kise's shoulder from its place on the bench. "You're an idiot. I have half a mind to find your old team and kick their asses."

Kise frowned. "Well, I told you. It wasn't like they had much of a choice if they wanted to get to any of the finals. They wouldn't have stood a chance against the Generation of Miracles without me."

"No prodigy child is incapable of being beaten, given enough time and work."

"You don't understand."

"At least let me be mad on your behalf, since you clearly aren't."

Kise proceeded only to pout harder. "It's not even a big deal anymore. Back to the main  _point_ ," he sounded annoyed, but Kasamatsu could hardly bring himself to feel ashamed, "I stayed with modeling all through high school mostly because it gave me something to do that wasn't basketball. I may have been super intent on winning, but even I didn't have the drive to practice that much. It probably would have been worse for me anyway. I was so bitter about how high school turned out that I pursued it full time after we graduated. I'd wanted to go to school to be a pilot originally, you know. But here I am. It's not bad, just... normal."

For the first time since this conversation had started, Kasamatsu allowed himself a small smile. He really had been right; for all Kise seemed calculating and professional regardless of his frivolous demeanor, he was still more or less a kid. It didn't feel like he'd had much of a chance to act like it in earnest in junior high, and in high school he'd been so pre-occupied with a single goal that it undoubtedly never occurred to him. But... well, he had to have learned this attitude somewhere, and with how highly he regarded his junior high teammates Kasamatsu could assume that they couldn't have been nearly as bad for him as it seemed. Still, it sounded a little lonely, and this sounded a little heavy. Kasamatsu wanted to be able to give Kise the simple happiness he acted like he already had.

"It's not exactly a nine to five office job," he commented ruefully.

Kise looked up at him, startled a bit by Kasamatsu's humor after he'd seemed so irritated before, but after a moment he smiled. "Neither is making kissy faces at sick puppies, you know."

"Exactly."

Kise looked confused.

Kasamatsu felt a small burst of embarrassment at what he was about to say, but it was rather effectively trumped by his honest desire to say it. "You should spend more time with us. Well... not necessarily at the clinic— we can't have you competing with Moriyama for the girls' attention, he'd be  _distraught_ — but just. With us. Not keep yourself so occupied with your sad boring famous model life."

Suddenly there was such a shining brightness in Kise's eyes, a light of emphatic hope, that Kasamatsu's heart constricted at the sight. And then Kise was leaping to lay down in Kasamatsu's lap with a loud shout of happiness that made the vet felt like he'd just come home to a golden retriever that was bowling him down with wet kisses and affection, whining to never leave him alone again. There was, thankfully, no tongue on his face, but there was a wetness in his lap that belied real tears and... Kasamatsu almost wanted to cry too.

Instead, he set his hand on Kise's back, pretending that he didn't know. "You're embarrassing."

"I didn't even know you hung out with anybody outside of the clinic, you look like such a recluse. But I guess it makes sense, if it's just them."

"Brat!"

Laughter bubbling up from Kise's chest, sounding wet and short yet earnest,  _happy_ , and Kasamatsu flushed slightly at the sound. The warmth from Kise's body filled him up, radiating through his veins directly to his heart. 

He sighed, taking a moment to be sure that there was no one else in the park before leaning over to cover Kise with his torso, arms slung out in front of him as if to enclose the younger man with his own warmth; protective, but also unguarded, also affectionate. He didn't quite understand how Kise ended up in his life— suddenly, violently, a flurry of motion that felt much more like a horribly cliched destiny tale rather than happenstance— but he could feel himself getting used to it, regardless of his reservations at the speed. He liked Kise, wanted to protect him, wanted to make him happy even if he didn't understand how these simple things were good enough for a man who appeared to have anything he wanted. But... Kasamatsu knew better, his insecurities aside. His family of close friends made him a better person, and he wanted to provide that for Kise too. 

He laid his head down across Kise's back, laughing lightly.

"What is it?" Kise asked, voice a little muted from their position.

"You're an incorrigible, arrogant brat. I feel like you're playing me half the time, but it's not even in a way that's bad, or that I don't like. I'm glad we're here. I'm glad that you came."

And this time, when Kise cried with gratitude, Kasamatsu just smiled, willing to wait here with this huge blubbering dog of a man until they could go home. The clinic was his home, at this point, and he was willing to make that the case for Kise as well.


End file.
